St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-26
TEMPERANCE TEXT BOOKS.

TEMPER 4 ME 1EAI BOOhS.
State Superintendent KIEHLE has
issued a circular addressed to the clergy
men and ministers of religion of this
state, asking that some time during the
month of December or January each
of them deliver a discourse on the sub
ject of temperance instruction in the
public schools, with a view of influence
ing their congregations in support of
the law passed by the last legislature
relating to that subject. Supt. KIEHLE
says that the teachers throughout the
state are in cordial sympathy with the
end contemplated in this law. but that
they feel seriously the need of public
support and direction in gaining sub
Stantial results.
Apparently there is singular contra
diction on the face of the state superin-
tendent's circular. If the law was
passed by the legislature instituting a
course of temperance instruction in the
public schools. and the teachers enter
cordially into the work of enforcing it
according to the letter and spirit, ism { it
somewhat singular that the state super
llllCliOCitl lCtlo III BNliNo W Nttl1 uppll
the clergy of the state to render assist
ance in this matter? So far as incul-
eating a temperance sentiment, the
Christian clergy has been doing that for
the last 1.S00 years. Why then should
they be called upon on this special Oc-
caslOn to make an extraordinary effort
in this directiOn-juSt for one day? The
truth is. there is milk in this temper
ance cocOanut which Superintendent
KIEHLE is handling that doesn't appear
on the surface; and with all due defer
ence to the state superintendent, for
whom personally the GLOBE has the
highest respect, and whose zeal in the
cause of education it has always COM
mended, it would have been better for
him and for the cause he seeks to adj
vance if he had approached the subject
in hand in a frank, straightforward
manner, without any beating around
the bush about it. The trouble is not
because of any pronounced opposition
to temperance instruction in the schools,
but it is because of the methods en-
plOyed in teaching it. The real OppOSi-
ton is to the text books that have been
selected for use in the schools. There
are many people, and good, honest tenn
perance people, too, who are opposed
to the text books that have
been selected for use in the schools
Notable among those in opposition are
leading members of the Woman S
Christian Temperance union, through
whose efforts principally the bill was
passed, and who have done more eff
eient work in the cause of temperance
than all the temperance book pub
fishers put together. In many localities
the patrons of the district schools have
refused to buy the text books The
school authorities, in their desire to COM
pei people to buy the books for the use
of their children, appealed to the attOr-
ney general for an opinion. That Off
cIal gave them cold comfort, and hence,
we take it, the main object now of Supt
KIEHLE's circular Is to enlist the sup
port of the pulpit in favor of his favor
tie text books. 1t looks that way.
We fail to see how the clergy can con-
sistently do more than has already been
done in the way of urging temperance
doctrines upon the people. We are very
sure that the ministry will not attempt
to pave the way for religious instruction
in the public schools. That would be
contrary to the genius of our govern
ment. The home and the church are
the places for religious education. The
purpose of the common school is to give
secular instruction.